Posts Tagged ‘lincoln cars’

Lincoln is hoping a new series of ads featuring actor Matthew McConaughey will raise the company's profile and boost sales.

Ford’s leaders are doubling down on their investment in the Lincoln brand in hopes of coming up with a winning hand as other luxury brands, such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and even Cadillac, have stronger followings than long-suffering Lincoln.

However, it has been difficult to know what that meant, in terms of dollars, until now. In September, Ford executives suggested the plan called for a $2.5 billion cash infusion into the brand; however, Ford CFO Bob Shanks said last week that the figure was low because it excludes engineering and some sales-related expenses.

Lincoln will likely update the Concept C show car for the L.A. Auto Show, later this year, possibly with a battery drivetrain.

With only two brands to focus on, senior Ford Motor Co. managers are getting itchy to rebuild the long somnambulant Lincoln marque – and are reportedly working on a wide array of new offerings that could eventually turn Lincoln into a truly global brand.

Sources say that Lincoln desperately needs the product infusion if it hopes to survive. With the elimination of the long-struggling Mercury division the luxury brand needs to be than just a me-too clone of Ford products gussied up with leather seats and fancier electronics.

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A good indication of Lincoln’s global aspirations could be seen in the Concept C, the show car first unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show, last January. Based off the C-segment architecture used for the 2012 Ford Focus re-make, the Concept C takes aim at one of the fastest-growing segments in the global luxury market.

With a production model under consideration for mid-decade, Automotive News reports an update of the Concept C will make an appearance at the Los Angeles Auto Show, next November.